Foldable box



Dec. 12, 1961 H. R. A. THIOLAT FOLDABLE BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8. 1959 I-llllll llllulll I JNVENTOR. HENR! ROBERT ANDRE THIOLAT.

ATTORNEY5.

Dec. 12, 1961 H. R. A. THIOLAT 3,012,705

FOLDABLE BOX Filed May 8, 1959 v 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. HENRI ROBERT ANDRE'THIOLAT.

M MQM/ ATT 0R N EYS.

United States Patent 3,012,705 FOLDABLE BOX Henri Robert Andi- Thiolat, Orval (Cher), France Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No. 811,976 Claims priority, application France Dec. 29, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 22939) The invention relates to a foldable box of square or rectangular shape, with or without a handle, comprising four flaps located around a part, of the blank, which forms the bottom of the box and furnished with extensions presenting a folding line at 45 to folding lines bounding the said flaps. According to the invention, cover parts extending the said fiaps present tongues which are cut out on the outside of the folding lines separating the said flaps from the said parts and which engage behind the flaps forming the two other sides of the box when the four flaps are folded at right angles to the bottom, and the extensions are applied one against the other, following the bending at 45, thus maintaining the box open for filling.

One embodiment of the invention by way of example is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank before any folding,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the box, as folded for transport, at the commencement of its unfolding, and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are similar perspective views, showing the box in the course of its erection, and open.

In FIGURE 1, the single transverse strokes across the dotted folding lines indicate the folds whose convexity is directed downwardly in relation to the plane of the figure, whereas the double strokes indicate the folds Whose convexity is directed upwardly in relation to the said plane.

The blank of FIG. 1, made of cardboard or other suitable material, comprises a portion A defined by spaced score lines 1, 1 and 2, 2 and portions B B, C and C defined by score lines 3, 3 and 4, 4 which form the bottom and side walls of the folded box as seen in FIG. 4. At opposite sides of said blank and outwardly therefrom are portions D, D E and E defined by score lines 3, 3 and S, 5. At the top and bottom of said blank are portions F and G extending from fold lines 4, 4. These portions D, D F and F provide the cover for the box, as seen in FIG. 4. The portions F, F, are provided with lugs G and G defined by slots H and H The portions E and D are provided with a slit 1. Portion D, has a slot K therein. The parts D, D form two sides of the cover of the box and bear upon the elements F, F after the box has been filled, the tabs E, E forming a handle by the introduction of the head I of the element E, divided by a slit J, into an aperture K in the part D The several portions of the blank are defined by folding lines 1 to 5. Additional folding lines 6 separate the flap portions B, B from extensions L, L and folding lines 7 separate the flap portions C, C from extensions M, M In accordance with the invention, the extensions L, M and L M respectively are separated by folding lines 8 at 45 to the lines 6 and 7. Also the extensions present, at the ends of the lines 8, cut-away portions N, N, and O, 0 towards the outside. According to an essential feature of the invention, the flap portions D, D, have small tongues P, P, formed from the material of the extensions L, L and separated from the said extensions by lines of cutting, parts of which coincide with extensions of the folding lines 6.

To reduce the bulk of the box for transport and storage, the blank may be folded on the lines 1, 4, and 7 in the directions indicated by the transverse strokes in FIGURE 3,012,705 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 1, so as to obtain the general result shown in FIGURE 2, which is convenient for transport and storage. Then, when the box is to be used, the blank is placed in the position of FIGURE 2 and the ends C, C are raised by exerting pressure in the directions of the arrows R in FIGURE 2. The flaps C, C turn about the folding lines 2, which has the effect of raising the flaps B, B similarly about the lines 1 and of applying the respective extensions L, M and L M one against the other along the folding lines 8, until the tongues P, P, engage like books with the outside of the flaps C, C or of the elements F, F so that the box is formed and held open. To facilitate the hooking effect, the height of the flaps B, B is slightly less than that of the flaps C, C The elements, F, F are then turned outwardly about the folding lines 3 and 4 respectively and the box can then be filled. Once it is full, the elements F, F are folded back and are locked by engagement of the lugs G, G, into the slits H, H The parts D, D, are closed, after which the heads I of the tab E are introduced, over the tab E into the aperture K, so that a handle is produced.

If desired, after the blank has been folded as shown in FIGURE 2, lightly, the extensions M, M and the corresponding parts of the flaps C, C may be secured together by any suitable adhesive in order to facilitate further erection of the box.

According to a modification which is not illustrated, the box need not comprise a handle. In this case, the tabs E, E are suppressed and may possibly be replaced by securing means such as the lugs G, G and slits H, H According to another modification, the elements F, F and the lugs G, G, are suppressed and the parts D, D are furnished either with tongues such as E, E or with lugs such as G, G co-acting with slits such as H, H Thus they may be deprived of any closure means. In practice, however, the elements F, F cannot be completely suppressed without the risk that the tongues P, P may not find sufficient material for engagement with. Nevertheless, these elements can be considerably reduced, that is to say to dimensions just sufficient to permit the formations of the folding lines 4.

Such suppression of the elements F, F has the advantage of economy of material and therefore of weight, without practically affecting the solidity of the box.

It should be understood that the embodiments described have been given by way of example only and may be subjected to numerous variations without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Foldable box made of a blank comprising a quadrangular middle part having four sides and four right angles defined by fold lines and intended to form the bottom of the assembled box, four flaps extending outwardly respectively from each side of said middle part and defined by fold lines, extensions forming externally with the fold line of said flaps a second quadrangular part concentric with said middle part, said second part having at each of its corners a cutaway portion and presenting a folding line at 45 to the folding lines bounding the said flaps, cover parts extending outwardly from two opposite sides of the said second quadrangular part and connected thereto by fold lines, and tongues which are cut out on the outside of the folding lines separating the said flaps from the said cover parts, whereby said tongues are intended to engage behind the flaps forming the two other sides of the box when the four flaps are folded at right angles to the bottom, and the extensions are applied one against the other, following the aforesaid folding at 45 thus maintaining the box open for its filling.

2. Box according to claim 1, wherein two of the said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Buchman Mar. 3, 1914 Van Horne Aug. 21, 1917 Rendall Sept. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Aug. 16, 1950 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1951 

